WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the National Transportation Safety Board are among agencies affected by a partial shutdown of the federal government that began Saturday (Jan. 31).
The STB announced today it has suspended operations. During the funding lapse, the STB will not accept or process any filings or submissions; process cases or issue decisions, except in cases determined to be excepted from the shutdown, such as an emergency service order; or take other actions. Deadlines for any submissions that occur during the shutdown will be delayed.
The board’s shutdown plan says that three of its 111 employees will remain at work to perform activities expressly authorized by law, necessarily implied by law, or necessary to protect life and property. Three others can be recalled as need. The three current board members cannot by law be furloughed.
A brief notice on the DOT website says “portions of DOT” are affected by the lapse in appropriations. “Website information may be outdated, transactions may be delayed, and inquiries may not be answered until funding is restored,” the notice reads. The NTSB website says it will not be regularly updated and the agency will not respond to inquiries until after appropriations are enacted.
The shutdown could be brief. Much of the government is already funded through September, and the Senate on Friday voted 71-29 to pass five regular funding bills to cover the remaining agencies except for the Department of Homeland Security, which would be covered by a two-week stopgap bill while negotiations regarding that agency continue. The House of Representatives returned today and is taking up the appropriations bills; House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press that he is “confident” the House will approve those bills by Tuesday.
— Updated at 12:25 p.m. to include NTSB. To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
